Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  My 3rd nissan truck - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By tom - December 16 - 4:56 am

  This is my third Nissan truck. The first and second both have 300,000 miles Ive never had any major problems except the normal things brakes, clutches, batteries and tires the reason I bought the new one was I got tired of looking and driving the old one. I expect to get 300,000 out of this one also! These are great little trucks

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  2004 sentra 2.5 sedan - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By c avnyin - December 15 - 1:40 pm

  after owning a corolla and civic both 1.8s I test drove the 2004 sentra 1.8. not much difference between all of them. Then I test drove the sentra 2.5 what a pleasure This car really moves. tons of power. A pleasure to drive. I bought it last June and so far no problems For the price I paid it was a bargain I couldnt pass up

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  Great SUV - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By az_ryan - December 13 - 10:08 pm

  I got my Xterra S used and love it. The V6 engine is powerful and the ride is smooth and quite. The exterior styling is really nice looking. The interior is pleasant looking and roomy, but very minimal. There are lots of plastic panels and very few bells and whistles you would expect. It would be nice to have more features. The biggest disappointment was the terrible factory sound system. One of the first things I did was replace the radio and speakers with an aftermarket system. The rear cargo is very nicely thought out with adjustable tie downs on the floor and roof, storage under the floor, and rear seats that fold down flush making lots of room for dogs or hauling. Cleans up nice.

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  A Good Value - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Rigmaster - December 12 - 2:16 pm

  I looked at all the makes. Sequoia was just too pricey and the domestics have too many recall and other issues. Infinti version not worth the extra money - expensive cladding. The Armada rides well so far. Especially like the price-value for this size SUV. Nissan dealers arent very good though so be happy if you get a well- built vehicle that doesnt require their assistance. Anyone expecting great gas mileage in a 4x4 with this size and engine shouldnt have bought one in the first place. Compare this to others with similar features and this is a clear winner. Will do another update after some additional driving. Toyota should be worried that theres a new big SUV to take on the Sequoia.

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  I love my pathfinder - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By halbbd01 - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had it about a month now, but im extremely pleased with my purchase. The ride is great. No rattles, no squeaks. Seats are comfortable. It handles well. The interior is sharp. Ill probably come back and rate it again in a year or so. I wanted a nice looking and reliable SUV. I narrowed it down to the 4runner and the pathfinder. The pathfinder was about 3k less with very similar features so thats why i went with nissan. From looking around and doing the research, I do think the 4runners are better quality... but the pathfinder still smokes any ford, chevy, gmc, etc in reliability.

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  02 Xterra SE 2wd - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By mkm325 - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Looks great and is fun to drive, but a little uncomfortable for long rides. The legroom in the back is cramped and the width of the front seats could stand to be a little wider.

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  09 SV- Premium Pkg with Tech Pkg - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Mike - December 12 - 9:16 am

  Just bought the 09 Max for wife this past week. We have own one other Max it was a 1997 we loved it. The new body design is great. We first looked at the SV Sport Pkg with Tech pPkg because of the price difference of the premium Pkg but we found a SV Premium w/tech Pre price change for $1000 more and that was with them adding the Rear Spoiler.We wanted the sport look.The voice recognition/bluetooth for the mobile phone is very clear. The nav system is very nice. You will spend a lot of time playing with all the tech in the car. Love the music Box,There is so much that I love about the car.

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  Nice At First But Two Years Later....... - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Rebecca - December 10 - 8:30 pm

  This was the first car I ever bought brand new. I wanted something roomy that got good gas mileage. The car was great at first but after 15,000 miles the breaks create massive amounts of dust that make the car squeal loud everytime I break. The hubcaps are cheap and fall off and the dealership took advantage of the fact that I did not know how much hubcaps cost and charged me $65.... for one. Every now and then the car wont start. I try again and then it will start. The MPG is okay but has decreased severly at 37,000 miles. My biggest issue is the tire pressure. My tires loose about 8 pounds every week. I refill them and within a week they have lost pressure again. Very Aggravating.

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  Armada 2009 - 2009 Nissan Armada
  By Nelson - December 9 - 11:23 am

  SUV is solid and strong. The large V8 has plenty of power and can keep family safe with its safety features and large size. Downside to the large powerful V8 is that it is a gas guzzler. If gas stays reasonably cheap then it shouldnt be an issue. Great car, love it.

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  Stalls out check engine comes on - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By 2.5s - December 8 - 1:53 pm

  When driving the car would cut out, lose power but still be running, tach would jump up and down press on gas no response, had car in Nissan dealer many times they were playing the guessing game, replaced throttle body, computer, complete wiring harness, car is doing same as before started last night, I just put a new fuel pump, plugs 126.000 mi. Have not checked check engine code yet. Thanks